Tuesday, 14 December 2010

Francesca Williams is an Illustrator, Photographer, Film maker and a cake decorator. She got back to me with really good advise-

Hi Liz,

Thank you for your email, i'm glad you like my work. I haven't really been doing much prop based, costume or photography work for the past few years, but i'll try and answer your questions as best I can.

Which artists do you admire?Andy Warhol, John Waters, Vincent Gallo, Larry Clark,What materials do you use?For my illustration I just use pens and paper! For other work I have often used a variety of textiles from a supply I have been building up over many years or vintage fabric, remnants and trimmings.Who influences you?Its not just people who influence me, I am influenced and inspired by all different kind of things. I don't really look at the work of my peers or follow much contemporary art or illustration so I am influenced by my own inspirations. (theres a list at the about me section of my website)How long does it take to do your work/shoot?It completely depends on the project. Some work can be done in a few hours, others take months of planning and weeks to complete.If you get an artist block on your work, how do you overcome that?I stop trying to do whatever it is i'm trying to do, do something completely different. Go for a long walk at nighttime. do something else and come back to it.What would you advice someone who trying to get into the industry?I'm not sure I really consider myself part of an industry but my advise to any creative people is to try and never compare yourself to anybody else and create for your own sake.

I took a look at the files you attached, I think you are creating some really interesting images and the figures and subject matter seem really considered, I think it might to be good to try and work on the backgrounds of the images and experimenting with propmaking for the backgrounds and sets, perhaps also even 3 dimensional text (it could be any kind of materials or techniques) would be interesting to try too.

Monday, 13 December 2010

This artist from Finland also works with half human / half animal figures (Do you remember Year 1 hybrids?). She explains: "The characters in my most recent paintings are often hybrids between humans and animals. The animal heads work as masks when placed on a human body. Throughout history, everyday life has been linked to the spirit-world with the help of masks. I place masks, typical for contemporary popular culture as seen in the worlds of metal and goth, in the framework of today’s social rituals and role-playing."(source)Role play and taking on new persona's is an interesting notion to explore.

You have identified the importance of animal masks in your work as a way to disguise or create a new identity. A transformation occurs when a mask is put on. The wearer becomes a something new and the viewer wonders what they are looking at? Animal masks have been used in the theatre in plays such Equus by Peter Shaffer and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Ask what is the significance of these masks being used?Animal masks are also used in other cultures for ceremonial or ritual purposes, such as these Inuit animal masks, the people believe that the spirit of the animals would be presented to them so they wear these masks and have a dance or a festival for the spirits. A wolf, owl or polarbear masks would signify these animals qualities such as feirocity, wisdom, strength, cunningness, and speed. As well as looking at how mask are made and what they look like, really think about what they mean for your Journal.

Sunday, 28 November 2010

When Janet came back from Berlin, said she went to see these guys. She showed my their work. I think it is right up my street, with the idea of events and getting people involved with art and making it public art.

Tuesday, 16 November 2010

Our challenge is to choose a band or artist and create an illustrated response inspired by two of their tracks. Be facing this issue head on and demonstrating our vision of a brave new world for illustration in music.Our target audience intended for the illustration will be the fan base of the musician/band/artist I select as part of answering the brief.CELEBRATION DAVID BOWIE DAY.Flight Of The Conchords-David BowieFlight of the conchords: Fashion is DangerI have idea of an art performance with mad fans dressed up as David Bowie's.I design a pretend website and all the mad David Bowie fans see a link for a time, date and when to get together to celebrate David Bowie Day. Not lose the idea from the brief I have chosen two songs lyrics and keep in the structure of what the brief outcome. For the event I am going to have workshop (Singing Booth) to do with two songs when they are playing.The two Illustration are going to be a film of the event and a photo.I am looking at public art and came across Bob and Roberta Smith- he created a diary for a book called 'Art U Need: My part in the Public Art Revolution'.He commissions five artists to create site-specific projects to transform open spaces in South Essex.Flight Of The Conchords Carol Brown / Girlfriends From The Past.Directed by Michel GondryBe Kind Rewind, Directed by Michel Gondry

Thursday, 4 November 2010

Friday, 29 October 2010

I have finished my poster for the virtual event 'Night in the woods'with help from graphic 3rd year Michael Ngo-Tu . I am planing to put the poster in the environment and with little interaction with the public, the bottom of the poster you can rip-off the paper where their will be writing of the time, place etc to take a little bit of the poster away with them.

Thursday, 21 October 2010

Next week is the actual shoot, with huge big help from Germaine from HC 2ndPhotography Foundation. People will be wearing the masks and the costumes, I am excited.I am also creating pretend promotional posters for the virtual night and collaboration with Mike from Graphic 3rd year.

Sunday, 17 October 2010

These are test shoots for the idea for the actual shoot next week, a student from HC Foundation is helping me and a very excited.These guys will be wearing masks in the actual shoot and it will be dark with colours shining off them. The 3 in front are the dancers and 3 at the back are the band.The masks are nearly finished and I have got the outfits sorted.

Monday, 20 September 2010

Monday, 13 September 2010

My Theme is Night in the Woods,'If you go down to the woods today, your sure of a big surprise' when you go down to the woods you feel scared and your imagination goes wild and start seeing things. I want my night to be like. I am taking the woods somewhere that I have in mind, going to make the props for the woods and have fun. The song 'if you go down to the woods today' really freaks me out, bit creepy, so I put it on.I am inspire by Beatrix Potter with her beautiful little drawing, painting of landscape and woods and her stories. With the event I am working in that style with woodland animals and make the event eerie with a dark twist.I am going to have entertainment, a live band- Unshaggables, a DJ- Oldest Toddler, maybe a dance group and a back drop with animation playing at the back of them.I am going to make masks for them made out of latex, easy to breath and not to heavy on the face, then add materials on the latex- would like my mask to be unusual wood land animals (Beatrix Potter, good example)The film Fantastic Mr.Fox is such a delightful film to watch. I am fond of the animation and how they move. Also their faces, would be keen to work in that way with the furry faces and would like to create that on my masks. I find this artist eerie and wonderful Dennis Mc'Nett, he creative a window display called the Barney Display with enormous animal heads on the manneguins shaped out of wood.

Research: I looked at Jiggery Pokery, they organize events and it looks fun. The Smirnoff advert Summer Night Dream and Mighty Boosth The Mod Wolf. I'm inspired by Beatrix Potter and would like my night to be unusual with the research that I am looking at. Also going to read the Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, some notes and more ideas. I am also going to go to the Manchester National History Museum to draw the stuffed animals for the mask making.

I have decided to change my personal project a little: instead organizing a Music Event Night I have decided to create a Virtual Music Event.The reason why I changed my ideas slightly because I had spoken to my Dad and asked him to play at the Event and he said "it will be freezing outside, have it inside the pub but it is small and there be no space for a dance group and also I don't think the owner will let you change the layout inside and their local to consider."I thought of hiring somewhere upstairs in a bar in Manchester but it is going to cost me a lot of money.

A good friend of mine came up with the solution/idea to have a Virtual Event Night and pretend the Event happened.I am going to create a set and actually have the live band, DJ and a dance group in the woods, with the masks on and people dancing and have the set photographed by a student photographer.I will also pretend to promote the night and look how to do that with emails, posters/flyer etc.

The outcome of the personal project is having a documentary of my process from A to B, have a few photographs of the set and a finished poster/flyer for the promotion.

Sunday, 1 August 2010

From this June, I have been doing some work experience with an up and coming Artist Noemie Goudal. I was the Production Assistant Manager and travelled to London. I was dealing with her frames to her client and deliveries with good commutation with the framer, printers and the processor. I helped out on her new shoot and became a PA, with picking up equipment for the shoot and process. It was a interesting experience and know how to go round London too. I have finished the work experience but in September I am going down to London to help install 5 of her shows. What I have learnt from this experience is an idea of what it will be like after Uni, How to deal with clients, framer etc and to have really good commutation. I also have bit of knowledge on how to use a camera and a old one too from 50 years ago. Also to get your work out there by Competitions, sending to Company's/Magazines/Newspaper's and asking Galleries to put your work up for exhibition's.

Friday, 30 July 2010

Wednesday, 7 July 2010

Monkey- This was taken outside the studios.Big headThis is taken from inside a Art Studio, I forgot what it was called?? It's a big old building and up the many stairs is loads of studios. Outside their was a guy welding metal into animals.R.I.PI have been doing some amazing activities over the summer, I went to Berlin for 4 night and didn't want to leave. I went with my friend and took a lot of interesting photos, Berlin is a pretty amazing place and I adore the culture and art. Plus food/beer is well cheap.

Friday, 11 June 2010

I am checking out music videos to get an idea and to inspire me for my brief, that I have to do myself for 3rd year. I am planning to do music event and looking at the wired and wonderful. I can get a band, a Dj and hopefully a venue for the event. LCD Soundsystem

Tuesday, 1 June 2010

Annie Liebowitz is a photographer and she is a Project Manager too. From working with the Rolling Stones Magazine she went on the 1975 world tour, also photographed some famous photos with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. She joined Vanity Fair and was made the magazine’s first contributing photographer and works for Vogue too. I have put two videos up, to show what her work is all about, What drives her? Technical aspect? and who commissions her?